Thai fans react sharply to Coach Park Hang Seo taking charge of a Thai League club

Park Hang Seo has officially resumed his coaching career after agreeing to manage Kanchanaburi in Thai League 2. The announcement has generated a huge wave of debate within the Thai football fan community.

On the afternoon of May 25, Kanchanaburi FC confirmed the appointment of Mr. Park Hang Seo as head coach under a two-year contract. Although the signing ceremony had been completed several days earlier, the Thai club only officially disclosed it to the media now.

The most critical task for the South Korean tactician is to help Kanchanaburi secure a ticket for promotion to Thai League 1 after last season's unsuccessful campaign. Park's salary has not been disclosed.

According to the plan, the former Vietnam national team coach will start his duties at the end of July, as he is currently serving as Vice President of the Korea Football Association and supporting the South Korean national team at the 2026 World Cup. In the meantime, assistant coach Lee Jung Soo will temporarily lead the team.

The arrival of Park Hang Seo immediately drew special attention from Thai fans. On many football forums and social media platforms, supporters of the Land of Smiles continuously posted comments about this deal.

A Thai fan commented: “Thai League 2 will definitely be worth watching now. Coach Park is the one who transformed Vietnamese football.”

Another account wrote: “Kanchanaburi is too ambitious. If they receive strong investment, Coach Park can absolutely take the team up to Thai League 1.”

Many Thai fans were also surprised that Park chose to work in Thailand rather than return to Vietnam or accept a job in South Korea. One supporter commented: “I never thought Park would come to Thailand. This is truly a huge shock for Southeast Asian football.”

Another fan remarked: “Coach Park is excellent at building team spirit and organizing the squad. Kanchanaburi could become a phenomenon next season.”

Yet another Thai supporter commented: “Succeeding with the Vietnam national team is one thing, but Thai club football is very different. I'm curious to see what Coach Park can do.”

Park Hang Seo's move to work in Thailand also reminds many of the numerous achievements he made with Vietnamese football. Under the South Korean strategist, Vietnam won the AFF Cup 2018, reached the Asian Cup quarterfinals in 2019, and for the first time qualified for the final round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers.

At present, Park still has a contract with Bac Ninh FC as a senior advisor. However, his decision to accept the Kanchanaburi role shows that this veteran coach is ready to return to the pressure and ambition of the sidelines.